Bureaucratic leadership

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Bureaucratic leadership is type of management style which heavily rests on the rules and characteristics of bureaucracy. This type of leadership involves:

  • strict rules and procedures regulating duties and responsibilities of every employee
  • material motivation towards achieving measurable objectives
  • strict rules of hierarchy and authority, relatively small role of delegation of responsibilities
  • broad range of IT based controlling techniques and tools
  • well being of staff is of secondary priority to leader
  • communication and information flow strictly formalized
  • formalization as a leading management technique

The meaning of the word bureaucracy is most commonly pejorative, this is due to the negative approach to the 19th century administration, which was working slowly and the cooperation with the officers was difficult. However the bureaucracy had an impact on the societies and many theorists started to study its role in the society. One of them was Max Webber, the German sociologist, who is considered to be the father of the theory of bureaucracy in the area of leadership. His theory says that in the bureaucratic system is structured, the work is divided between the leader and the worker and rules are clearly and strictly specified. The basic requirements of bureaucratic leadership consists of four main elements, such as:

  1. Discipline on the subordinates. It has to be strict, regular and as per the guidelines. The procedures must be detailed and lead the employee by every step of the process. The unit or company should work as a well-structured machine.
  2. Authorization and power for the leader. The hierarchy must be clear and obvious to the employees. Leader is the one who make a decision and workers should not make any decisions, if they are not authorized to. The expectations must be clearly specified.
  3. The authority belongs to the leader and the workers should obey him/her. It mean that the subordinates should not step out of the line and follow the leader's commands. Any derogation is not appropriate and unacceptable.
  4. Company should build clear and structured system of rewards and promotions, which can be granted if an employee perform well, demonstrate good work results. The nature of the reward must be "impersonal". In other words, the reword is given if the work has been done well, employee contributed the company. The personal development of employee is not taken into account.

Important part of the framework is leader and its qualities and attribute. Leader should be focused on the work results, not that much on people. Should be detail-oriented, know all the procedures and watch if people stick to the guidelines. Any deviation from the described rules is unacceptable. Currently we would name this kind of management and attitude as the micromanagement. Second, leader should work hard to show the highest standards to the team. This is closely linked with the motivation. Third, leader must be task-oriented and strive to achieve the specified and detailed goals. Must schedule the work appropriately, stress the importance of the task/work, set out the standards of work. Fourth point, that is essential to the bureaucratic leader is a strong-mindedness. Leader should act sometimes with an iron hand in order to keep the work on track. Should be confident, courageous and committed. Fifth, leader need to be passionate for the work, but also for accomplishing the described goals.

The bureaucratic style of leadership can be found in the modern business in the areas requiring focus on details, such as chemistry, construction work, work with hazardous materials or large amounts of money, but also in the repeatable work environment.

Examples of Bureaucratic leadership

  • Structured hierarchy: Bureaucratic leaders typically employ a structured, hierarchical management system that is based on rules, regulations and procedures.
  • Clear job roles and responsibilities: Bureaucratic leaders have a clear set of job roles and responsibilities that are assigned to each individual in the organization. This helps to create a well-defined structure of authority and decision-making.
  • Standardized processes: Bureaucratic leaders emphasize the use of standardized processes and procedures in order to ensure consistency and efficiency in the organization.
  • Rigid decision-making: Bureaucratic leaders are typically slow to make decisions as they prefer to be thorough in their approach. This often involves multiple layers of approval and can lead to delays in decision-making.
  • Formal communication: Bureaucratic leaders usually communicate in a formal and structured manner, relying on memos, emails, and other written communication methods.
  • Control systems: Bureaucratic leaders often employ control systems to ensure that their employees are adhering to their processes and procedures.

Examples of real-life bureaucratic leaders include former US President Dwight Eisenhower, who used a strict hierarchical structure and a system of standardized rules and regulations to run the White House; former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who relied heavily on control systems and formal communication methods to manage the UK government; and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who used a highly structured and rigid decision-making process to lead the German government.

Advantages of Bureaucratic leadership

Bureaucratic leadership has various advantages. These include:

  • Increased efficiency: Bureaucratic leadership focuses on having standard procedures and processes which ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and quickly. This reduces the time and resources that are needed to finish a task.
  • Consistency: Bureaucratic leadership promotes the use of consistent processes and procedures, which ensures that everyone follows the same rules and guidelines. This helps to create a more uniform and consistent work environment.
  • Accountability: Bureaucratic leadership promotes a sense of accountability, as it allows managers to easily track and monitor the performance of their employees. This helps to ensure that everyone is held accountable for their actions.
  • Reduced costs: By having standard processes and procedures in place, bureaucratic leadership helps to reduce costs by eliminating the need for unnecessary spending on resources. This helps to ensure that the organization is operating as cost-effectively as possible.

Limitations of Bureaucratic leadership

Bureaucratic leadership has a number of limitations. These include:

  • Excessive focus on rules and regulations: Bureaucratic leadership is heavily reliant on rules and regulations, and this can lead to a lack of creativity, innovation, and overall flexibility.
  • Lack of accountability: Bureaucratic leadership can lead to a lack of accountability and responsibility, as it is often difficult to pinpoint who is responsible for a given decision or action.
  • Rigidity: Bureaucratic leadership can be overly rigid and inflexible, which can lead to resistance to change, lack of adaptability, and inefficiency.
  • Lack of motivation: This type of leadership can lead to a lack of motivation and engagement from employees, as the bureaucratic structure lacks incentives, rewards, and recognition.
  • Costly: This type of leadership is often associated with high overhead costs, as it requires significant resources to operate and manage.

Other approaches related to Bureaucratic leadership

Bureaucratic leadership is a type of management style which heavily rests on the rules and characteristics of bureaucracy. Other approaches related to this type of leadership include:

  • Hierarchical Structures: A hierarchical structure is a way of organizing people in a rigid chain of command. This means that each individual in the organization is given a specific role and responsibility. This type of structure is often used in large organizations to ensure that tasks are completed efficiently.
  • Rules and Regulations: Bureaucratic leadership typically involves a set of rules and regulations that all employees must follow. This helps to ensure that everyone is working to the same standards and that tasks are completed in an efficient and timely manner.
  • Task Delegation: Bureaucratic leadership also involves the delegation of tasks to members of the organization. This helps to ensure that tasks are completed effectively and efficiently.

In conclusion, bureaucratic leadership is a type of management style which heavily rests on the rules and characteristics of bureaucracy. Other approaches related to this type of leadership include hierarchical structures, rules and regulations, and task delegation. All of these approaches help to ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and in a timely manner.


Bureaucratic leadership — recommended articles
Characteristics of bureaucracy — Bureaucratization — Bureaucratic control — Levels of management — Unorganization — Front line management — Centralized organizational structure — Span of control — Theory of management

References

Author: Magdalena Rewers

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